This summer we will continue to explore the research and practice of Environmental Science and Public Health/Public Policy by focusing on West Berkeley / Berkeley Station, California. We will be examining the area's air quality issues, neighborhood equality, and health challenges to deepen our understanding of how rail activity contributes to local pollution. We plan to look at how rail activity increases air pollutant concentrations near to train tracks. We will examine the rail activity and the air pollution in West Berkeley / Berkeley Station. Students will have the opportunity to try their hand at collecting field data for social and environmental information with SIDEPAK Air monitor. The goal for this summer program is to help the students pose a hypothesis and then write a scientific paper to verify or disprove it. The main research question may be to quantify how much air pollution seems to be coming from the industrial parts of Richmond (especially the oil refinery) compared to general traffic emissions. 

(Dr. Noth/Program Director)